Navy and Marine Corps officials on Wednesday outlined the next steps in the Landing Ship Medium (LSM) program and bridging solutions until it is ready as they redirect away from the first set of requirements proved to be too expensive.
Lt. Gen. Eric Austin, Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration, admitted that while the Marine Corps initially wanted the LSM to be a 35-vessel fleet of affordable beach-to-beach littoral maneuver vessels, “requirements creep” in a tough acquisition cycle made it unaffordable.
“Then we hit the reset button, which was the responsible thing to do,” Austin said during a panel at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C.
In April, the Navy posted a notice that it intends to issue a sole-source contract to Bollinger Shipyards Lockport LLC for the first LSM, based on the commercial/non-developmental Israeli Logistics Support Vessel (ILSV) design, itself based on the U.S. Army’s Frank S. Besson-class of logistics support vessels (Defense Daily, April 21).
Now that Congress, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and Headquarters Marine Corps are on the same page with the next version of LSM, “I think we’re in a good place right now. And I will tell you that where we sit now is we are well postured to procure our first non-developmental item.”
Austin said they expect the first LSM to take four to five years from contract award to being in the water for delivery and it will serve as a Block 1 model while the service figures out the full capabilities it needs on a more affordable LSM model.
Following his remarks, Austin told reporters the Marine Corps wants the new LSM faster than four to five years, but they are looking at buying data rights in the contract so that multiple shipyards can ultimately build the following type, dubbed Block Next.
“I think that that’s the realistic timeline in which the ship builders can make it. One of the good things about the NAVSEA approach and the [Program Executive Office] Ships approach right now, though, is providing data rights, and they’re going to take a look at opportunities to own the design and be able to have it built across the shipyard. So we may be able to increase the velocity based on just the number of shipyards that build whatever design we go with.”
Austin said there are many issues like data rights to be resolved, but showed excitement at the process moving along and said the most important thing is to get the “ball rolling” on the first LSM, which is of “tremendous importance.”
He said the service is very optimistic about getting the first LSM “as soon as we get the resources, which is tied to our current budget environment, which will hopefully be resolved soon,” a nod to the year-long FY 2025 continuing resolution (CR) that includes the ability for DoD to shift funding more than usual in a CR.
Meanwhile, the Marine Corps continues to test LSM concepts with the HOS Resolution, a modified Hornbeck Offshore Services Offshore Support Vessel as a Stern Landing Vessel (SLV).
The service’s contract with the SLV allows for the government to buy it outright and lease additional vessels, but Austin confirmed they do not plan to buy the SLV, keeping their next procurement decision on the first LSM.
However, Austin revealed two more initiatives to increase testing and bridging solutions until the LSM Block 1 is delivered: co-ownership with an Australian SLV-type ship under construction and a mixed Navy-civilian mariner crewing of some Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessels (T-EPFs) for amphibious operations.
The SLV co-ownership with Australia is an outgrowth of how the Navy signed a foreign comparative test agreement with Australia’s government, which will use a purpose-built SLV currently under construction there. Austin said the vessel is slated to finish construction in May or June followed by testing and trials with Australia through the fall before it can later deploy to the first island chain in East Asia.
Navy and Marine Corps officials compared sharing the Australian SLV as akin to timesharing, with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to work with the Australians on how to split operations time.
Austin said the Marine Corps could buy more SLVs, but their “wholesale purpose right now is to experiment,” so they are not currently planning to.
Austin also confirmed to reporters the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition has decided to buy the data rights to the Damen Shipyards Landing Ship Transport LST-100 design, which will serve as an option for LSM Block Next.
Last year, Australia selected the LST-100 for its new Landing Craft Heavy program. The Australian side of the co-owned SLV will be used to test concepts and practice with in advance of deploying the LST-100s.
Separately, Austin said the Navy is looking at hybrid crewing some T-EPFs to use as another long-term investment and bridging solution for the LSM mission.
He noted the original Navy-Marine Corps partnership concept for a littoral maneuver bridging solution involved use of the T-EPF, but that fell apart due to civilian mariner challenges.
However, Austin said now acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby “has charged the team to come up with an approach to hybrid crew it with a partial uniform Navy crew and partial civilian mariner crew,” and they are preparing to start training for them.
The service is preparing for four of these T-EPF mixed crew ships to be used for the bridging solution and be commanded by the Navy, similar to the Expeditionary Sea base (ESB) concept.
Austin said while he does not fully understand the role the Navy and civilian mariners operate and are split on command structure on an ESB, in these T-EPFs there will be more of a blend in functionality.
He said the Marine Corps is “encouraged by it, because there are a lot of T-EPFs at pierside right now that we love to see you put the good work out at INDOPACOM.”
While four T-EPFs devoted to this role will not solve the Marine Corps’ lift requirements, “it certainly reduces a whole lot of risk and provides a lot of affordable and agile service lift solutions.”